ARISE Quartet: A Yazawa Nico Story
by Caribous
Summary: What would have happened if Nico's idol group had stayed with her? Nico and ARISE What-if.
1. Prologue 1: Ikkini

**Prologue 1: Ikkini**

 _ **IF**_ there was a more annoying girl at UTX than Yazawa, Nishikino Maki could not think of who it could possibly be.

But no, that didn't work. After all, she WASN'T at UTX, was she? Just pretending to be there. That was the problem, after all.

Now that she'd finally met the girl, to say she was unimpressed was far too mild. A flat-chested midget, she dressed like a Lolita cosplayer, and talked like someone voicing a child character in an anime. Much more, Maki felt like she smelled the stink of failure on Yazawa. She seemed like someone who would not only mess up her own life, but yours, too, if you gave her even a single chance.

But - Maki looked over at Rin and Hanayo, who waved. There was also her two friends. Not very close, but as close as she could claim. And there were her parents, talked by principal Minami, her mother's close friend, into thinking Otonokizaka, while backwards technologically and without any modern amenities, would be a stronger recommendation for a good pre-medical program. And they all wanted her to pick that crumbling Charles Dickens throwback over a real high school. Seeing Maki talking with the Yazawa girl, it was clear Rin and Hanayo, who waved at Maki again, were starting to get their hopes up. Which undid all Maki's work in dashing their hopes earlier that spring.

She also had to admit she MIGHT be being unfair to Yazawa. She looked at her again and shook her head. No, same loser. Kind of scarily ambitious and perhaps schizophrenic or something. Maki felt like if Yazawa spoke about herself in the third-person one more time, she'd get slapped until she stopped. But then again, how would she explain that to Rin, who had the same aggravating habit?

And on the surface, Yazawa was, actually, sort of impressive. Apparently she did some sort of child care, got good grades (in not very hard classes, Maki's inner future valedictorian interjected), had managed to start a school idol (ugh!) trio that won a competition of some minor sort. And she'd been scouted by the unfortunately famous ARISE trio at UTX, Maki's chosen school. As a hobby, and to placate her parents, Maki had gotten accepted at a half dozen schools, including both UTX and Otonokizaka, so it was up to her. Hah!

In reality, she was under pressure to pick Otonokizaka even from the headmistress of the UTX first years (each year at UTX had its own)! Apparently she was an Otonokizaka alumna, knew it was struggling to fill its classes, and didn't want to poach any students from there without replacing them. So when ARISE had petitioned to let Yazawa transfer to UTX (and even arranged a scholarship for her), since the first-year headmistress was also in charge of transfers, she forbade it, unless a student at UTX transferred to Otonokizaka. With some wheedling, she'd agreed that if an incoming student who'd chosen UTX could be persuaded to change to Otonokizaka, that would suffice, and Maki became that sacrificial lamb.

Maki had gone with Rin and Hanayo to see Otonokizaka, out of morbid curiosity, and unluckily for her, Yazawa had heard her trying out the piano in the music room with her friends listening. After that she'd apparently told the ARISE girls that if she ended up stuck at Otonokizaka "for a while," she'd "at least have her own composer."

Apropos of that bit of derangement, Maki had been paying zero attention to Yazawa's babble for a while now, but suddenly the words "my Maki-chan" jumped out at her. She tensed up, set her jaw, and started to pay attention. Apparently, Yazawa's joy at finally getting in to UTX would be lessened somewhat by the fact that "Nico's Maki-chan" would be going the other way. Not that Nico didn't appreciate the sacrifice, because Nico did appreciate what Nico's Maki-chan was doing for Nico. Really, Yazawa was like a living Pokemon, only capable of uttering her own name. But this couldn't be allowed to stand.

"What did you just say, Yazawa?" Maki interrupted. "Because it certainly sounded a lot like you said I was YOUR "Maki-chan." So first of all, I am and will remain "Nishikino-san" to you. Second of all, I am not, in any sense used since the Dawn of Man, yours. Are you into girls, Yazawa? Is that what that was about?"

Yazawa stuttered and said of course the number one idol couldn't be that way. In fact, she wasn't dating at all, her busy life and idol career demanded she forego that …

"Then, I guess annoying me is your way of saying you really can't leave your dear old Otonokizaka - where you're apparently a dull, uncut diamond shining comparatively brightly in a coal bin - so I should be on my way to UTX before I miss out on some of my pre-college courses."

At that point, the little loli fell all over herself apologizing. Suddenly, Maki felt a little twinge of guilt. She suddenly remembered Hanayo, who was an idol otaku, saying Yazawa's success with her trio was inspiring because her family was desperately poor, and something about her not having a father. Was the satisfaction of browbeating someone so pathetic really worth it? She didn't allow herself to speculate how well she would have handled Yazawa's situation, but it did make her back off a bit.

She sighed. She looked at Yazawa. She looked up. She looked over at Rin and Hanayo, who waved yet again. She thought of her parents.

"Look, Yazawa. I have no idea what someone like you could ever do for someone like me. Almost certainly, simply avoid me in the future. But if it ever comes up, by some dark miracle, you will be reminded that you owe me. Greatly."

She pointed at UTX. She tore a piece of paper out of her notebook, scrawled a note on it, and handed it to Yazawa.

"Go. Go, go. Get out of my sight before I change my mind."

With another sigh, she turned away from Yazawa, who stood there flabbergasted, and trudged over to where Rin and Hanayo were waiting. Of course, she didn't look back to see if Yazawa had the brains to obey her command or not. Her two sort-of-friends were over the moon when they realized she was heading away from UTX and waiting for them. Their joy did not make it all worthwhile. Nothing did.


	2. Prologue 2: Doesn't Matter, Got In

**Prologue 2: Doesn't Matter, Got In**

 _ **Nico headed in to UTX before the surly snob changed her unpredictable mind. Really, when Nico was so tiny already, why had that girl felt the need to make her feel a centimeter high? Maki obviously literally had everything in life; maybe that's why she regarded even a small change in her plans as some sort of national tragedy. Not only was she rich, sought after by the best schools, given the best possible tutoring, never lacking for anything, completely spoiled, she'd been born with much more than her share of beauty, talent, and intelligence. Nico, by contrast, had never had any luck at all, had nothing, and had to work painfully to get even the little she had. You'd think someone like Nishikino would take pity on someone like Nico and, at the very least, leave her alone, instead of adding to her problems. Nico had to take herself in hand; instead of asking her usual question, why me, what did I do? She needed to simply say — she's a spoiled brat and when she doesn't get her way, she's a cruel, insulting bitch. However unheroic it might be, that thought did make Nico cheer up.**_

 _ **How would spoiled Maki-hime-ojousama handle having Nico's life? She asked herself rhetorically. Well. Even if Maki was suddenly rendered poor and fatherless tomorrow, there was all the benefits of her stable home, nurturing upbringing, and expensive education. And her parents and tutors had trained her in so many things she was very employable. And there was the fact that she was absolutely perfectly beautiful — outside, of course. Even if she got rendered homeless, and had to work in the water trade, she'd become one of those escorts that spend the night with Diet members or movie stars for ¥300,000. Nico would have to get one of those phone apps and claim to be a beginning junior high schooler and call a bunch of middle-aged men "Papa" in a bunch of love hotels. She occasionally had dramatic flights of thought like this; it wasn't like Japan would let a poor widow and her children go hungry or anything — it wasn't America. But what if someone in her family had a grievous illness costing a couple of million yen a year, or their mom couldn't work and they got evicted and their family broken up, and ... Anyway, the point was, she couldn't defeat someone like Nishikino even in her fantasies.**_

 _ **Since that was so very depressing, she focused on the path ahead, as she usually did after indulging in depressing thoughts. She (and ARISE) had done it! She was heading to UTX with a scholarship! She knew that she would have to bear down even more, become even more organized and efficient. To reward herself, she planned to schedule a visit by her family to see UTX and show off to them. It would be good for them to see why Nico couldn't always be home as much, what she was working for.**_

 _ **Against her will, the little jibe about her liking girls poked its way into her thoughts. What on Earth, Nico wondered, was that about? Where did that come from? She didn't think she had, you know, stared at her or anything. She did notice the girl's beauty, but anyone would. If anything, far from being attracted to her, that'd just made Nico more resentful, as it fell out. Besides, Nico literally was too busy for any such nonsense, as she'd replied, unfortunately stammering a bit. But she knew of several girls who had romances in high school, mostly as practice or play, and it wasn't like anyone cared, except very conservative, uptight girls — well, there you go. At worst, Nico might have let Maki's pleasant appearance lure her into thinking she was nicer than she turned out to be. Then again, in the crunch, Nishikino had held the keys to UTX and she'd let Nico in. Remember that, forget the rest. An idol, of all people, couldn't afford to make any enemies.**_

 _ **And, okay, when she'd heard Nishikino playing and singing her OWN SONGS at Otonokizaka, and heard she might be coming there, she HAD had a fantasy of befriending her through Rin and Hanayo, having her compose songs for Nico's trio. And as such, she had talked with Rin and Hanayo about Nishikino (they were both enthusiastic to have someone already at Ototnokizaka befriend them). And as she heard about her winning piano competitions, and one songwriting competition, she thought to herself "As expected of Nico's Maki-chan" and glowed a little more in anticipation. Why would someone friends with sweet girls like Rin and Hanayo not want to write for a successful trio that was putting their school on the map? Okay, admittedly, only in a small way. But still.**_

 _ **And apparently, without thinking about it, she'd accidentally let all those thoughts come out when she thanked Nishikino. So, really, a lot of that was on her. She had just admired Nishikino so much. Nico wrote all the songs for their trio and it was very difficult, so they mostly sang professional acts' songs with their own choreography. Nishikino was much better, more fluid musically. Less derivative. Then again, she didn't have to do the training, choreography, most of the arrangements, make snacks for the group, etc. Nor juggle that with hours a day of child-care. It wasn't that Ageha and Mimi - who performed with Nico - and even Rin and Yuzu, their ghost members — didn't do anything, but Nico was the determined one that did three times as much as anyone else. It was how she inspired A-chan and Mimi to keep going even after severe disappointments, and contrary to their inclinations.**_

 _ **Okay, back to the present. Nico kept a cheerful aspect. She went to the headmistress, showed her the note (it was a little scrawled and terse, but the headmistress just laughed and said, knowing the person in question, that was why it was authentic). And just like that, she was at UTX. Now she had to buy a uniform. When ARISE had floated the idea that Nico should either transfer to UTX for her senior year, or, unfortunately limit her collaborations with ARISE, Nico had put a moratorium on all spending, including sweets and idol paraphernalia Thus, she had enough money to buy it out of hand without putting the burden on her mother. She produced the cash, and as befitted UTX, went to the school uniform area and was fitted. She even changed into it!**_

 _ **And lo and behold, there was Tsubasa.**_

 _ **"Nico!" she said, "You did it?" Then, looking at how Nico was dressed, she affirmed, "You did!"  
**_

 _ **She then got a serious expression. "Nico, now that we're colleagues, I have to say, first, you won't be able to be part of our next performance. Worse, you're going to have to really work hard. I know you already do, but even if you know our songs, you don't know their choreography. Erena and Anju volunteered to split up and teach you, and you need to schedule with them now. And we don't want you slacking on your own work, either. One reason we wanted you was that you did your own songs and choreography. Unfortunately, you need to do that, too. Think of this as starting over, and hopefully, the fact that we wanted you so much that we pulled strings to get you should inspire you, like you were when you started your group. We really don't want you helping the duet Ageha and Mimi-chan are doing, but if it helps you write, fine. Just limit yourself so you can get our songs done, first. Oh good, I see Erena - Hi, Erena! - You need to go over and meet with her and Anju - UTX has a coffee place and thank goodness the students here aren't so starstruck they'll bother you guys. Okay, bye, I am meeting with someone at a new venue, Congratulations, Nico!" and with that she kissed Nico on the cheek and ran off. So that's how she really was: Nico felt like a whirlwind had just blasted her in the face.**_

 _ **Really, Nico needed to learn to live in the moment without assuming the universe was just waiting for her to be happy about something to pounce on her. The unpleasant encounter with Nishikino was fading a little. If she'd wanted to make Nico cry, she wasn't trying hard enough.**_

 _ **She remembered, probably would for the rest of her life, her trio's first performance. After all the people who said they'd go see them, after all the fliers she handed out, after people seeing them practice in out-of-the-way corners of the school, the lights went up (assisted by Rin and Yuzu), and the entire school auditorium was empty. Nico had cried — it couldn't be helped — but then she set her chin and continued. That shamed Ageha and Mimi into continuing with her. By the time they were done, a couple dozen people (apparently drawn by the sound) had come in, so it wasn't like they never got a tiny audience.**_

 _ **Anyway, it was pretty clear that the four other members of the Idol Research Club had about had it with Nico, and with school idols. Nico insisted on coming back after a curtain drop and bowing. When the curtain went down again, she turned to Ageha and Mimi ... and begged. Before this, Nico had been egotistical, driving, and demanding. She'd exhorted A-chan and Mimi by saying they needed to work harder to be idol-quality. All of that was over. She talked about her life. How this was all she'd ever had. How idols had been her lifeline. How she was carrying on a tradition for her dead father. She broke down in tears and went on her knees and begged them to give her another chance. She'd do anything, change anything they wanted, make them the center in turn and stay on the sides. After a while, Ageha and Mimi had been embarrassed. Mimi hugged Nico and assured her they'd give her another chance. After that, practices were more easy-going. Even Nico started having fun. The next time they performed, at an outdoor setting in Akihabara arranged through Yuzu's friends, they got such a good response live and from video put up on Nico Nico that Otonokizaka students took notice. The lucky few who'd seen their only performance praised them after the fact.**_

 _ **If Nishikino or anyone wanted to crush her, they'd have to at least reach that level, she thought. Otherwise, they were amateurs playing in the professional leagues. Back to happy thoughts.**_

 _ **Thinking back to the early Aidolukenbu days, as Tsubasa had mentioned, she realized that she had befriended a second Rin. She decided to call the younger one "Neko-Rin" although that might seem too much like Nekorin. Really, what was Nishikino bitching about? Did she really not want friends? It was obvious to Nico from the way they behaved — at a respectful distance — during their encounter that they loved Maki and wanted her to go to school with them badly. So, she probably would get a better recommendation to universities, she got to be with what looked like her only friends, and UTX was getting what it wanted, namely Nico. Well, the important part of UTX, that is. Okay, Nico, for some reason, you're still obsessing.**_


	3. A New Life

**A New Life**

 **April, 2011**  
Heisei 23

"This is it," Niko thought.

She didn't mind the stares of the other Otonokizaka freshmen. She planned to weaponize her cuteness, after all, so looking like a grade schooler was half the battle. Yazawa Nico had had a couple of setbacks just before starting here, but she felt in her bones this was where she was meant to excel. Well. Last year finishing middle school, she'd been certain she'd be excelling at UTX. But anyone could become a super-idol out of a flashy place like that. Nico imagined the interview she'd give.

 ** _"Well, my family is honest and hardworking, and we wanted a school where there was a sense of Japanese tradition. UTX seemed too impersonal for Nico. Of course, Nico worked hard in school, so she could have gone to any school, but Otonokizaka had the greatest tradition of all ..."_**

Not really true, although Nico's grades had been quite good. She had barely not made the cut to get in to UTX right away, and couldn't find anyone prestigious to give her a recommendation anyway. Plus, while she might have wangled a scholarship to UTX, it wouldn't have covered even their rather pricey winter and summer uniforms, and each subject, each trip, and each club seemed to have extra fees. Her mother had told her they probably couldn't afford it, and since Nico wasn't a shoo-in, anyway ... Luckily, Nico had gotten a feeling right around then and worked extra hard to make sure she could get in to Otonokizaka, where one of her mother's cousins had gone.

Her last year of middle school, Nico had literally studied while cooking dinner, while watching her siblings in the bath, eating breakfast, and so on. She studied over breaks and over lunch at school. Thank goodness for the internet and computers at the library! Once she'd disciplined herself not to sing in the library - and get the evil eye - she could keep up with the world of singing and dancing idols by judiciously researching no more than an hour a day. When that cut in to dance practice behind the middle school, she would curtail it to a half hour. Singing, she practiced at home in her room. After a while, she let her siblings come listen if they were in the mood.

That their beloved Onee-chan, already a second mother to them, should be a singer just like on TV or videos was amazing to them, and they were a worshipful audience Nico secretly probably needed then. She'd even befriended two girls enough that they'd pledged to join her "Idol Research Club" (really just a vehicle for an idol group) when they all ended up at Otonokizaka. Very suddenly, however, Nitta Rin and Sera Yuzu, who were close friends with each other, had told her they would join a different club, and that they could only be "ghost members" for Nico's.

It wasn't so much that Nico minded soloing, but that a club could get the kind of support a selfish lone idol wannabe never could. A room, a computer, maybe even somewhere to practice. However, she decided to pick her battles and was completely gracious.

"Of course, Nico is disappointed, but can she hold you to the ghost member offer?" she'd asked. Rin and Yuzu had agreed, relieved. Rin had a cousin Nico knew from middle school, also interested in being an idol, who would be there at Otonokizaka in a year or two, and it was good to keep good relations in any case.

As she'd hoped, this first day some clubs had already been allowed to set out desks to recruit people. She went over to the dance club. They actually had two tables and chairs, and only one person there. Nico very straightforwardly told the girl sitting there she wanted to start a singing and dancing idol club right away, and asked if she could borrow a little space by them. Although the dance club member was surprised at such a confident yet young-looking girl, she tentatively agreed. Nico left her school packet there and went into the bathroom. She came out dressed like an idol. She asked if it would be okay if she exhibited a bit of singing and dancing near there - there happened to be a large cleared out space between their tables and the stairwell. "Just shoo Nico away if she's embarrassing," she offfered with a sweet smile. The club member, not a complete fool, asked Nico for a pledge to join the dance club. Nico bargained with her: could she put her club first, and use the dance club to train at? She pledged to try to give credit for any glory she received to the dance club. The club member agreed, and Nico, pushing her luck, put up a tasteful sign saying "Who wants to start an Idiol Club?" and her contact information.

When Nico was ready, she brought out a portable karaoke she'd borrowed from Rin. She'd practiced how to get the best sound out of it without being too low-volume to be heard - sheltering the mic in lots of foam seemed to help. She performed a less-known song by a promising 12-year-old pop singer who had recently become popular, and with her own, simple but well-executed, choreography. Her completely professional manor, yet obvious joy in performing, drew a small crowd, and in fact, benefited the dance club more than Nico, whose name was already on their sign-up sheet. But she did get two girls, friends named Fujioka Ageha and Shirai Mimi, to sign her hand-made member sheet, and with Yuzu and Rin, she would at least have the minimum for an association. She would twist everyone's arms to get as many ghost members as possible, but this day wasn't for hustling, it was for winning hearts and minds.

Part of the draw was that Nico looked far too young to be there. Just this morning she'd decided on rather tightly banded twin-tails that would have looked ridiculous on anyone that didn't look, as she still did, like a grade-schooler. Skipping grades is not very common in Japan, but that was the impression she made. She noticed one of the people watching her looked like a teacher, so after she performed, she went over to them and asked, straightforwardly, if they knew of any teacher who could advise a new club for idol singing, dancing, and research.

It turned out the teacher, Mizukuki-sensei, had managed to beg off advising a club for quite a while up till then, and had been requested to do her share at the end of the previous year. It also looked like this little girl was quite the self starter, and if she did well, the founding advisor would look good - and she could beg off doing any more unless the club took off in a bigger way than she'd predict school idols at Otonokizaka would. Somewhere in the middle should be fine. So she wrote her name in as tentative advisor, pending the correct number of members. Right after that, Rin and Yuzu showed up and Nico had five names, and herself as president.

On a whim, and in celebration, she asked Rin and Yuzu to do a dance number they'd practiced in middle school. Nico put Rin in the middle and she and Yuzu played along. Nico was so much in practice she could not only dance and sing, but hold the mic near enough to Rin and Yuzu that you could hear them singing. Certainly not as polished as Nico, but charming enough. Just as they had after Nico performed solo, the students and teachers watching applauded.

Nico tried to score points by going over then and guilting the drama club Rin and Yuzu were joining - she graciously told them, quietly, that she didn't mind them poaching Rin and Yuzu "even though we made all those plans in middle school - I guess Nico is now the Lone Musketeer," because she "wanted dear Rin-chan and Yuzu-chan to follow their dreams as Nico was following hers." It had probably worked. She might be able to get help with costumes in the future, or even a small role in a drama if they needed more than the club was providing. It never hurt to have things like that in your idol resume.

She went back to the desk, but didn't get any more bites. Three girls it was.


	4. Keizoku wa chikara

**May to January, 2011-2**  
Heisei 23-4

A-chan and Mimi followed Nico's example and helped out with the dance club sometimes in return for joining them for some of their practices. Nico joined all of them, so they scheduled their own dance practice in the club-room when the dance club wasn't having one. True to her word to the dance club member who'd let her share her table, Nico not only helped out the drama club she'd joined, but was in all of their dramas and musicals. She humbly simply told whoever was casting it to put her wherever they wanted her. If a part was small, she didn't complain. If it was big, she worked extra hard and did a professional job of it. She often helped make costumes, so she got to know their costumers well.

Occasionally, the drama club's Rin or Yuzu would help the idol club out, as well. So all five of them were sort of in all three clubs, as even Rin and Yuzu joined in when the dance club and the idol club held one joint practice in the gymnasium, preparing for the school festival. Since the idol club was rather small, the dance club was given extra time, and the performances would go: dance club, joint performance, idol club. Still, the idol club would have two songs to dance to. Nico had helped write the shared performance song, and had written the idol club's song by herself, and done all the choreography for it as a rough outline, designed all the idol club's costumes, and jointly with two girls in the drama club, produced them. The choreography had been jointly refined with Ageha and Mimi, and those three would be the center with Rin and Yuzu also dancing.

Nico's biggest acquisition had been five attachable microphones. Even with that, thanks to coordinating with other clubs, she'd gotten a computer and some idol videos for the club and never gone over her budget. Then again, she'd also donated all her old idol fan things to the club. Her room at home looked a little bare now, but she'd decided she would wait until she had time for a part-time job to re-fill it up. She was more conscious of family finances now than when she'd started collecting idol merchandise as a grade-schooler.

Meanwhile, Nico kept her grades up by studying over breaks, over lunch, at home cooking dinner, etc. She kept diligent notes in class, and whenever she had a class with any of her idol club members, she shared her notes with them every day. She and Ageha and Mimi all studied for tests together. They admired her mature attitude to school, and the way she juggled her family, future career and school without dropping anything. Thanks to that, Ageha and Mimi also did very well in school, and their parents didn't have to worry about Nico's club overburdening them and harming their grades. It also helped their social life, as all three of them, and Rin and Yuzu for both dance and drama, began to be well-known around school.

All of that had come at a price. Their very first performance in the school auditorium had been something of a failure. Literally no one at all had shown up on time for it, and only a couple dozen people by the end. The idol club members got to see a crack in Nico's armor, she'd been trying to present herself as a super-girl, but it actually humanized her for them. She had cried when the curtain lifted to an empty auditorium, even though Nico'd handed out fliers to practically every student at Otonokizaka, and she'd cried again when all four other members told her they'd stick with her. Inside, however, she still bore a grudge against Otonokizaka and yearned to be at UTX where idols like ARISE got the proper attention and respect they'd earned.

Towards the end of the first year, she asked Rin at drama club about her cousin, Kaoru, and if she still planned to attend Otonokizaka and join the Idol Club. Yuzu looked at her then dragged Nico out and motioned for Rin to join them. Out in the hall, she told Nico that Kaoru and her family had gone missing in a natural disaster last year and were never found. Nico looked over at Rin, who nodded. Nico slumped down against the wall outside drama club. Kaoru and Nico had always gotten along, and she'd looked up to her older cousin so much she was often called "Mini-Rin." She and Rin hugged each other tearfully. Rin told Nico that's one reason she'd decided to join the drama club instead. It had been Kaoru who was excited about singing and dancing, and Rin had wanted them to have something to do together. Yuzu had just wanted to join whatever club Rin joined. Apparently Rin's parents had told Mama Yazawa, but she wasn't always willing to tell Nico bad news if she could avoid doing so. Nico said if all that was so, she was even more grateful for the help they'd given her. By this point all three were in tears, remembering Kaoru, but they and Nico felt a little closer. Nico said she'd still worry about recruiting for the idol club, but that she wouldn't have the heart to do so this year.

Notes:

 **Keizoku wa chikara nari: "Continuing is power." It's easy to start something, its hard to keep it going**.


	5. Student Council

**September to January, 2011-12**

Heisei 23-24

What the hell, Nico wondered, was "kissing practice?" It kind of sounded like something you'd do in primary school, to be honest. But, as Toujou Nozomi pointed out, neither of them had done so in primary school. Or middle school. At least Nozomi had the excuse of being moved around every couple of years, breaking up all her friendships. And come to think of it, Nico was pretty sure Rin and Yuzu had done something like that in middle school. So, she really had no excuse. Whatever, she thought. Nozomi would probably bug her anyway until she said yes. So she closed her eyes and moved her head forward, lips pursed.

 ***BA BAN***

Only to knock her forehead into Nozomi's. She made a command decision, annoyed. "You. Don't. Move. A. Centi." she gritted out. Surprisingly, Nozomi complied, and Nico, eyes wide open this time, kissed her.

Afterward, Nozomi said, with a smile, "See! I told you practice was needed. And I could tell Nicocchi enjoyed being the one in charge of a kiss. Nicotachi!"

"I what? I - what are you talking about, Nozomoppai?"

"Ah, a dishonest Nico gets the treatment." With that, Nozomi kissed Nico - and gently rubbed her chest. Nico panicked a little at how ... well ... good it felt. After a bit, she pushed Nozomi's hands aside, broke the kiss and said, "Cut that out!"

"Nico is for all the fans, but the fans, only!" she added.

"Maybe I should become a super idol too, then. Think of the fan-service!" Nozomi winked. In truth, they'd met when Nico was recruiting to start the idol club, and the sexy, sultry-looking Nozomi had been asked to join, and had begged off. Thus, Nico knew she wasn't serious. Nonetheless, Nozomi had been so positive in her praise of Nico's performance (and that of Rin and Yuzu) that it was quite encouraging. And she went out of her way to ask Nico about her progress so often, they started hanging out after school together, when Nico was free. Even though they were in different homerooms.

God knew where and how Nozomi had picked up her breast-rubbing habit. It was nothing Nico would have ever had the gall to do. But Nozomi, at least, had come to a truce with Nico about how she did it. The first time Nozomi had tried to punish Nico for "not being honest" with "washi-washi," she'd been surprised when Nico immediately kicked backward. Twice. Very, very hard. Nozomi was quite bruised. Then Nico explained, through clenched teeth (she found herself talking that way a lot to Nozomi at first) that when you crushed the breasts of a flat-chested young girl, you were crushing the glands and nerves right into the bones, and it hurt worse than Nozomi's bruises, and didn't even have a scrap of humor to it.

It might even cause cancer or hinder development, she'd added gratuitously.

Nozomi had, surprisingly, accepted that. But the next time she felt like punishing Nico, she gently caressed her breasts — which had its own problems, really. But Nozomi was Nico's only real friend outside the Idol Research Club, and it looked like that was going to be true for the foreseeable future, so Nico cut her losses and let Nozomi do as she pleased. She also, actually, reflected on what Nozomi said at those times, and genuinely tried to be more honest about things. It really, really bugged Nico that that probably had improved her character, and her social life. That sort of idiocy shouldn't _work_.

"Nico is bright red, it suits your face." Nozomi was smiling at Nico. "I think I should return the favor. Nico, one last practice, and you can rub mine, this time."

Well, that was completely out of the question. That turned it from "kissing practice" into "making out practice," and what was the difference between practice and the real thing that counted? Nico was going to protest, she really was, but.

But. The fact remained that Nozomi, for a fifteen-year-old, had truly huge, but pretty firm breasts. They kind of drew your eyes to them as they bobbed, when Nozomi turned around suddenly. When she wore an old tee-shirt whose collar had become low-cut. And Nico had always wondered what they felt like. So it was simple curiosity that made her keep mum.

Nozomi put her hands at her sides, closed her eyes, leaned forward, and held still. Nico, hating herself a little, leaned forward. Her hands landed gently on Nozomi's breasts, and their lips met. Nico very tentatively, hesitantly, caressed them. Wow. They were like the softest marshmallows ever made. These were what breasts were meant to be, and it was a good question why Heaven had denied Nico her share. As she stroked them, she gently squeezed Nozomi's nipples between her fingers, and she unconsciously pressed into her a little.

Nozomi did as Nico had done. She broke the kiss and gently placed Nico back a bit with her hands on her shoulders.

"Well, well," she said. Her face was as bright red as Nico's had been. "If Nico's reaction was anything like mine, then ... wow. That was so ... ummm effective, I guess we couldn't really call it practice if we did much more, huh? But how were they, Nicocchi?"

Since Nico would probably never touch them again, she might as well be honest. Besides, Nozomi tended to see through her when she wasn't.

"They were amazing. I admit it. I've never touched anything that felt like that. I really envy Nozomi."

"Ooh, so honest, Nicocchi! Well, thank you. I know whenever I went out alone the boys would always stare at them, and that didn't make me feel good at all. But you appreciating them makes me happier. They are already big enough to cause back and shoulder aches, you know. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle between us, Nico."

Fortunately for her suddenly re-wounded vanity, Nico had idol practice coming up. And had to check in with the dance and drama clubs first. "Thanks for the practice," she said, a bit sarcastically. She saluted Nozomi and sauntered off.

* * *

Her Japanese was pretty good for a Russian girl. That was the first thing Nico and the girls around her said, whispering. Nico was a little shrewder than average about things like that, and declared her a "half." She had a Japanese name, Ayase Eri, which she said with that funny L sound foreigners used. It was a real tongue-twister. You had to curl your tongue the opposite way, way up behind your teeth, for starters. Nico had practiced it, as she knew she'd have to sing at least some English in her future career.

"Class, we have a transfer student who has come to us today. Please welcome her. Ayase-san, introduce yourself."

The tall, blonde girl stood by Ms. Mizukuki looking like a Hollywood celebrity or a Russian gymnast, or both. Nico felt a different sort of envy to the way she felt about Nozomi's chest. This girl had abundant breasts, actually, but she was taller than Nozomi - and much, much taller than Nico - otherwise slender, and with a stunning face, so you didn't necessarily notice.

"Hi, I am Ayase Eli. I am glad to meet you. I hope to study hard and become the Student Council jecretary."

She didn't say, "Please take care of me," but someone in the class did, anyway. A girl with thick glasses and a serious manner stood up.

"Ayase-san. Umm. It's rude, but ... umm .. the word is 'hisho' not 'hijo.'" In other words, Ayase-san had wanted to be the Student Council Secretary - the notetaker — with that level of speaking — she couldn't even say 'secretary', let alone be one! You could see she was thoroughly embarrassed.

Undeterred, the girl continued. "But Ayase-san, I think perhaps you should also consider treasurer. We have a perfectly good secretary right now, you see. But we couldn't get anyone to be treasurer, so they make the secretary do it, and when she can't, the president or vice-president have to fill in. We would be very grateful to have you in that capacity."

Ayase stammered out that she'd be honored. So her embarrassment, at least, had not been suffered in vain. She went to her seat, which was near Nico. Nico could hear her ask who the girl was that had spoken up. She was, of course, the student council secretary.

* * *

Nozomi had been so intrigued when Nico told her about Ayase, Nico had a premonition that something upsetting would happen. Sure enough, Nozomi suddenly volunteered to help out at the student council, where Ayase had indeed become the treasurer — if no one ran for something, the president could appoint them at Otonokizaka. She would usually help out a half hour before Ayase finished her work there, then take her out to a kissaten that "has great parfaits" to help "Elichika" — who really was pretty high-strung — to "unwind." Nico tended to see her now only once a week. She tried to be philosophical about it. She didn't really have the time to be a dedicated friend, and it seemed like they were headed towards dating, or at least the kind of girl friendship people called "romantic." Which seemed to be what Nozomi had with "Elichika," to be honest.

She resolved to do the same thing she'd done when the drama club poached Rin and Yuzu from her. When she met Eli outside of class, she was completely gracious, she dropped hints that Eli had stolen her best — nay only real friend — but she was just happy Nozomi was happy. And Nico was so busy anyway, though some of that was endless paperwork as her club and group had to struggle with getting permission to practice and put on performances. She guilted Eli into bringing it up at the student council, and, in fact, got numerous favors out of the council that did, indeed, save her a lot of precious time previously spent wrangling with the system. Nozomi approved of this, just as she had when she perceived what Nico did with the drama club. She liked the impoverished girl's ambition and ability to live by her wits.

Also, she owed Nico, she really did, after the first concert. Nozomi had been running quite late, not for a crucial reason, and assured herself Nico wouldn't even notice, the lights were too bright to tell faces in the audience, she wouldn't miss more than one song. The sight of the completely empty auditorium that met her eyes when she arrived dispelled that fantasy. With a great internal struggle, she decided to move to the very front to encourage Nico. But something failed her and she ended up sitting one row back after all. Nonetheless, though she'd missed the song, but not Nico's tears, she applauded like crazy. A couple of girls standing in the wings also applauded. As the girls did two more songs, people started to gather, but they didn't all sit up front, making the auditorium still look almost completely empty. Nozomi not only hadn't gotten anyone else to the concert, she herself hadn't been there for the start.

Nico didn't talk to Nozomi at all for a while after that. She threw herself into the idol club, and they and the drama and dance members were pretty much the only people she spoke to.

So Nozomi agreed with all of Nico's suggestions. She pointed out to Eli, who mentioned it to the other members of the student council, that Nico's activities were making Otonokizaka a more exciting place to be. The drama club president and dance club president agreed. Her forward-looking, professional approach wasn't really matched by anyone else at the school.

With her new "in" with the student council, Nico had more opportunities. She often had to cook ahead and plan her whole week, but she was able to step up and take advantage of them. She told herself that, given her situation, she and Nozomi would have tapered off their friendship somewhat anyway, eventually.

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **Nicotachi** A tachi is a top, sometimes butch. A neko is a bottom, sometimes femme. Nozomi is suggesting Nico is, or sees herself as, a top. Of course, true Love Live! School Idol Project fans realize Nico is a neko whether topped by Maki, as usual, or Nozomi in a variation. But the poor girl is allowed her delusional ego-bolstering illusions.


	6. Duet

**April, 2012  
** Heisei 24

The problem, they explained to Nico, was that she was a star. And they weren't.

Ageha and Mimi, reinforced by Rin and Yuzu, had asked for a meeting of the Idol Research Club. Because they knew how insecure the seemingly confident Nico was, they quickly got to one of their points: they weren't breaking up the trio. Or the sometimes quartet or quintet, since the ghost members had participated a couple of times. But wasn't Nico awfully busy, with acting and dance and the trio and her family and her grades?

They had already all gotten so good that daily practices would be a waste of time. But Nico had had a head start, and been so committed, that she was still miles away ahead of the other two girls. Compensating for that had become second nature. But what they wanted, they explained, was to do a duet show. Or two. A term. Meaning only one this term, but it would mean a lot. And if Nico helped choreograph it, and produced it, it would show the students Nico wasn't angry or being abandoned.

To their surprise, Nico agreed fairly quickly, even though she was obviously quite shocked. She didn't say so, but inside she was thinking that she really had meant all her promises when she begged them to stay with her. She had no idea where she'd be now if they hadn't. Her best guess, though she didn't dwell on the possibility, was that she'd be some kind of _hikikomori_ in the club-room, watching the glory of other idols over and over like that old actress in that sad, ancient American movie, whatsits-name.

So they planned a duo show. Nico suggested they not make anything with their names, as it would be too similar to what the trio had done. Instead, they settled on _Nijuusei_ ("Double Star"), since they wanted to go towards stardom at their own pace, as a duo.

They worked on some songs, and one song the pair came up with raised Nico's eyebrows a bit. It was called _Nico chu_ , which sounded like Nico Kiss, but actually was internet slang for _Nikoniko chūdoku-sha_ (NicoNico addict). The song's lyrics urged the NicoNico Douga video commenter to put down his mouse, go out and see a live. On balance, It was a sentiment Nico approved of, though it might offend video-only idol-watchers. Still every idol act had to have its niche, and pushing lives might be theirs.

If the two girls practiced for both their trio and their duo, they would probably improve faster (though not, Nico estimated, catch up with her).

She was quite worried that their act would pull apart, and sidetrack her progress. They felt like it would open her up to be scouted. At any rate, they promised that this year, the trio would be at its best, regardless of how long it might last.

* * *

 _Nijuusei's_ first concert was a big success. The fact that Nico had so visibly helped them did, indeed, convince the students there were no hard feelings. Instead, they marveled that Smile Swallowtail Ear was so good, it could afford to do side projects. On that note, many girls urged Nico to do a solo performance. With great trepidation, she agreed it was a good idea.

One time, when Nico and Yuzu and Ageha were making costumes together, Ageha suddenly said, "Nico, you need to recruit this term. I've talked to Rin. Kaoru wouldn't have wanted another girl like her not to be told about school idols. Rin said that." Yuzu nodded. Nico was surprised. Where this was coming from, she had no idea.

"Also," Yuzu added. "It's high time Nico got over Nozomi and started making friends. Like, in the dance club, in the drama club. Maybe with the girls you talk to at the middle school. You're lonely, Nico, and everyone can see it."

Nico objected that she had her family and her career, but they didn't buy it. "We can see how lonely you are, Nico. That's part of why you were so scared about the duo. Some of the time you used to devote to dance practice, devote it to hanging out, or doing things for the students you work with in the clubs. Please promise us you'll at least try. We worry a lot, so we talk about you a lot. If you don't want that ... promise?"

Nico didn't say anything, as she was fighting tears for some reason. But then she gave a small nod. It wouldn't hurt to start by touching base with Nozomi - and Eli, unfortunately - for starters.


	7. Nico-nii Has One Muse Too Many

**Summary:**

How, just when Nico thought she was out of Otonokizaka, they pulled her back in.

* * *

When they were brainstorming ideas to help save the school, they'd put "School Idols" near the top of the list. Even Eli had agreed with that much. So when Hanayo came in looking like her alpacas had died, Honoka, Umi and Kotori all got very nervous. Hanayo was their school idol expert, she had the schedules and groups memorized and knew everyone in Otonokizaka who might be able to help or perform, whether they were in a club or not.

"Double Star," she began, puffing breathlessly. "Breaking up."

Honoka looked like she had been stung by a wasp.

They'd already realized that the Nico Yazawa group Smile Swallowtail Ear was going to break up, even before her transfer to UTX. The handwriting was on the wall when two of the trio started performing duets as "Double Star". Both girls assured them that the breakup was friendly, and praised Nico without any reservations. As for their duo, they were moving away from singing and dancing in a group and getting involved in music and theater. Unlike Nico, they hadn't had a strong drive to succeed as idols after school was over. The duo had a prior commitment to a couple of performances during the school year and break, and Nico would occasionally offer them advice, still, but that would be it. They agreed to help sometimes, though both were moving on from school idol stuff. With that assurance, Honoka, Hanayo, Rin, Umi and Kotori managed to talk Nozomi, Eli, and, finally, Maki into at least tentatively helping with forming a new idol group.

Unfortunately, quite often the eight girls found out that the more complex issues and tasks had been done by Nico. "Nico did that, sorry," came up all the time. When Honoka and Hanayo reported that depressing news, Maki happened to be making an appearance. She'd pointed out to Rin and Hanayo that she joined with the proviso that her other priorities would always come first, and she considered meetings a waste of her time.

Since she usually just looked bored and annoyed when she did come, and only answered direct questions, she surprised them all by saying, "excuse me."

They all looked at her in silence.

"It's nothing big, but seemingly, you want this Yazawa ... thing around to give advice, is that roughly it?" She knew Nozomi would give her a dirty look for talking like that about her friend, but, as usual, Maki didn't care.

Ever the peacemaker, Hanayo said, "umm yes, Maki-chan, but unfortunately she's no longer here."

"About that. Since I'm the reason she is no longer here, both her and ARISE owe me a favor."

Nozomi looked upset again.

"It would not be impossible for her to do some of her training here, even some of her composing. I will volunteer to blue pencil her songs every couple of weeks or so, which is not a resource she'd have at UTX."

Umi was taken aback. "Still and all, Maki-san ..."

"No, it's stupid and boring having these depressing meetings where you go in circles. And as for Mifune Chizuko over there fuming, isn't she the one that was babbling about how things wouldn't work without Nico making up your mystical ninth? Well, I can give our ogamisama what she wants. And in return I get to stop listening to all this drivel."

With that she pulled out her phone and called, presumably, the idol leader in question. They were all too shocked to speak. Umi and Eli had to explain to the others that Mifune Chizuko was a famous psychic. Nozomi just looked upset.

"Yazawa. Gods only know how this can be, but it turns out you were actually the competent one, relatively speaking, in your sad little group. The new crop values you, which must be a unique experience for you. I am calling in the huge, life-changing favor you and ARISE owe me. You're going to contact their leader, Hanayo ..." a couple of people pointed at Honoka. She ignored them. "and do whatever she asks you to do. I am sure you will be as pleased as I am to clear the books between us. We won't even have to speak to each other, though I have volunteered to clean up your songs on a regular basis. You're welcome. Please inform the rest of ARISE and make up a new schedule." With that, she clicked her phone off.

The other seven girls all slumped. Finally Hanayo spoke up. "Ummm I'm not exactly ... well, anyway, thank you, Maki-chan. I suppose we weren't going anywhere, so you had to act decisively?"

"Nicocchi is still caring for three younger children. She gets the same deal as Nishikino or nothing will happen. Nico's priorities come before ours. Period." Nozomi didn't even move her head or look at Maki. She said that almost in a bored way.

Maki grimaced, but was distracted by Rin. "Well, nya... ummm at least Nico didn't answer so Maki could say all that in a message."

"Yes," Kotori contributed. "That would have been awkward."

Maki just looked confused. "Uh, what do you mean?" When they looked just as confused, Maki clarified. "She answered, all right."


	8. Christmas in the Trenches

If Nico had to do something this outrageous, she was at least going to make Mistress Snooty-bitch explain herself to Tsubasa, Erena and Anju, school idol Yazawa Nico told herself. She had already dragged her — physically, feet skidding on the floor, as in — to meet Ageha and Mimi and explain why Nico couldn't help with music or choreography for their duet any more.

Nishikino had pointed out, unhelpfully, that really, Nico had already fulfilled any real obligation to them, and did she honestly think any of this was Nishikino's idea? Did she even realize what contempt she had for any and all school idols? And then she shook her head and apologized for forgetting Nico was an almost entirely brainless whatever-she-was. Her best guess was some sort of mynah bird trained to repeat the word "Nico" over and over again like a living Pokemon.

Her cruelty hurt, but the payoff was that the duet (formerly her trio at Otonokizaka) said they understood, and even sympathized with her. Plus, they gave Nishikino a very nice glare when she went off on school idols. It took a major, wrenching effort to remind herself that Nishikino was actually helping a school idol group at Nico's old school. Perhaps this excessive rant was her sole way of venting her frustration.

For her part, Nishikino Maki had managed to blank out from her mind the trauma of dealing with a hyperactive, helium-voiced piece of delusional, egotistical lolicon-bait. If she thought this would intimidate Maki, she had another thought coming. Which was a problem, since she doubted more than one thought at a time could fit in that pinhead of hers.

At any rate, she stated her case plainly, ticking her points on her fingers as she went.

First, it was only due to Maki's sacrifice that Yazawa was at UTX and in A-RISE to begin with. They would have exactly 0% of her time without that. Second, she'd made it clear at the time that Yazawa owed her big-time. The girl had cheerfully taken her letter of intent to go to Otonokizaka instead of UTX to the supervisor of third-year transfers. Thereby acknowledging the debt. Third, Maki was doing this entirely selflessly. Her friends at Otonokizaka had weird hobbies and even stranger tastes, and for the former they were indulging the latter. For whatever reason, they wanted to have Yazawa as part of their "idol group," and Maki had the means to make that happen. Fourth, Yazawa had gods-damned better not say she was too busy, unless she wanted to trade with Maki's preparation for medical school and perfect grade point average. Finally, the idol group, Mu's, was going to be reasonable and put A-RISE ahead of Mu's if there was ever a schedule conflict. They had also adjusted their practice time just to accommodate her. That should feed her voracious ego for a few seconds, surely?

To the chagrin of both of them, Tsubasa just laughed and agreed. She told Nico to meet up with Mu's, then come back and work out a schedule going forward. She simply asked her to try not to spend more than twice as much time on Mu's as she had on her friends' duet act.

That, anticlimactically, was that. Nico and Maki parted ways without even looking at each other once.

. . .

... Until Nico's first practice with Mu's.

* * *

What was the name of their leader, again? Oh, wait, they were like hippies in Holland, pretending they didn't need one. Nico tried to remember who she'd seen as the center. Okay, there she was. Why was she "manju girl?" Oh … hmmm Homura's, right? So her name was something Homura? No, somehow it wasn't. But close. What did they call her that one time at the shop? **"Honoka?"**

"Yes!" that girl said the way she said everything. It was so shockingly upbeat Nico didn't even want to disillusion her.

"Umm, can you tell me why Nishikino-san is here, please?"

"Silly Nico-chan! Why do you think?"

That was going to take some getting used to. She now remembered something vague about how the hippies also dispensed with respecting their sempais.

"I'm trying hard to think of a reason besides practicing with us. Is she here to go over a composition?"

"Nope!" Honoka said, smiling. "You got it right the first time! Maki-chan is part of our group and she dances with the rest of us!"

If Nico made a scene, there would be no point coming here. Her best strategy, alas, was to address Nishikino directly.

"I thought you were too busy to do more than compose, Nishikino-san?" Hear that "-san," Mistress Snooty-bitch? Try using it!

To her surprise, it was one of the third-years that answered for her. "Sorry, Nicocchi, but that's my fault. The cards told me we needed both of you or we would not flourish." She whipped out a card with a star on it, and showed it to Nico. What that proved was anyone's guess. Nico remembered that girl, unfortunately. In a rare moment of weakness, she had once upon a time gazed at her large breasts enviously, a little too long, and had, in fact combined that with a sigh. After she looked away, she had suddenly found her own breasts being manhandled. She made an inelegant squeak, only to hear a voice whispering "I like them too, little one!" Needless to say, she had avoided this girl the rest of her time at Otonokizaka. This was just getting worse and worse, wasn't it? Also, there was no possibility of winning.

She sighed and said, "I see. May I request you don't pair us for practices, then? We do not have a very good history, and both of us would probably be distracted, unable to give you our best efforts."

For the first time since she'd met the crazy little idiot, Maki found herself nodding in agreement.

"Nico-chan! Maki-chan! That's not nice at all!" Honoka said, startled.

"Ummm," Maki began. "Actually, it is nice. If you do as Yazawa … -san … suggests it would be nicer for her, nicer for me, and nicer for the group. It's actually a niceness-inducing suggestion."

This time Nico was the one nodding.

"Ah, and when I want you two to dance together, you'll instead disrupt the flow of our whole routine, and with angry faces to boot, correct?" the other third-year demanded.

"Just what I was thinking, Eli," a long-haired, cool-looking second-year chimed in.

The upshot was that Nico and Maki would always be paired in practices until they could "learn to get along."

This would be her biggest challenge to date, Nico realized. Even including her painful and eminently forgettable first trio live, where the lights had come up to reveal a completely empty auditorium, and Nico had had to beg on her knees to keep her group together. Nico could make anyone like her, right? And Nishikino Maki was an anyone. She should make sure she wrote about all this in her journal, so she could write about her greatest triumph in high school when she wrote her bestselling autobiography. She even started to make a little fist pump, but broke it off in embarrassment.

* * *

It wasn't missed by Maki, nonetheless. The little idiot is, of course, going for it, she thought. She twisted and turned the situation in her mind's eye. If she subtly sabotaged the whole thing, making it look like Yazawa was at fault, then the loli could go back to UTX where she now belonged, Toujou-san would have to give up on her "nine or bust' fixation, and Maki could probably go back to just composing, instead of shaking her ass in a miniskirt surrounded by airheads.

As it played out, she fooled everyone but Toujou-san.

She followed Maki after a practice where Nico had practically thrown a fit. "I like Nicocchi, Maki-chan!" she said behind her.

Reluctantly, Maki turned around and faced her. The senior was still smiling, as she always did, but her eyes weren't merry at all.

"She's a fighter," the girl continued. "She's had to fight against cruel outside forces her whole life. It's such a contrast to Maki-chan. Who can't be honest and has had everything handed to her, so she has to be her own biggest challenge. Am I wrong?"

"What would you know about me, anyway, card-chuunibyou?"

To her surprise, Toujou-san just laughed. "More than you think. But I will tell you this. In addition to being in two school idol groups, Nicocchi still does more housework, cooking and child care than all your weekly hours of tutoring, homework, studying and juku combined. In case you didn't realize that."

"So are you going to tell Honoka?"

"Nope, and not your friends, either, though you're starting to not deserve them again. You stored up some good karma earlier this term, but you're expending it all pretty rapidly." Like usual, she whipped a card out without ever breaking her gaze into Maki's eyes. It was an image of a tower, struck by lightning. "This card-chuunibyou girl doesn't like what she sees." She walked away, leaving Maki not sure exactly how she was feeling.

She realized that her options to sabotage Yazawa going forward would be much more limited. Still, she could do a few subtle things while outwardly appearing to be adapting to the situation. It was the actual performances where it would be crucial to show that Yazawa wasn't working out. Ironically, in order to get away with that, Maki would have to practice a lot, and diligently.

If any misgivings bothered her, she rationalized that bringing Yazawa over from UTX was a clear ploy. They'd wanted Yazawa, for whatever reason, and now they weren't getting all of her. And they were the only real rivals to Mu's. She would never disillusion Rin and Hanayo, but it was pretty clear to her that it wasn't all sweetness and light.

When she found out that their first live as a unit of nine would have an on-stage rehearsal, she realized her moment had arrived.

* * *

Nico had to admit Nishikino had suddenly started cooperating in a big way She still had to fake a smile, of course. Still, Nico had been praised from an early age for singing and dancing and trying to coax a smile out of people. Maki, presumably, had pleased her parents by squinting into a textbook or sitting at a piano with a grim and serious expression for hours. She'd give her that. In fact, Maki had been so crisp with her movements, it was sometimes hard to connect with her. It was certainly a relief, given one of Nico's twirls required catching Maki's hand, in fact. They'd gone over it slowly enough times that Nico was fairly confident of synchronizing with her even if there was a little adjustment required.

* * *

Maki hated holding hands with her greatest annoyance in life. But she smirked, inwardly. All she had to do now was subtly encourage Kotori, but not Nico, who came after her, to adjust to her connecting a little quicker as she went, and the rest of them to her making the soft turns most of them carried out. With that, she could make a much quicker move and look like she was coordinating perfectly with Kotori, even though she was jumping the gun slightly. Then, she would make a sharp turn that would look very professional on video, and Nico would be obviously out of synch, miss her hand on the twirl, and fall on her ass. With any luck that would draw a tantrum and make the rest of them all question their wisdom in wanting her around. At worst, even if Nico somehow synchronized enough, it would throw the rest of her dancing off, making her look strained and unhappy. Meanwhile, Maki would be genuinely smiling for the first time. It was like when you solved a complicated chemical formula. Everything balanced, and the reaction had nowhere to go but where you wanted it.

* * *

Really, everything worked out with military precision. There was just one problem. Missing a connection like that propelled a lighter body like Yazawa's further than it would have one of the larger girls. There was an awful moment when time seemed to freeze and she looked into Yazawa's panicked eyes as she left the stage to crash on the floor below. Worse, she didn't move after that.

Maki didn't have to pretend to be distraught as Nico was carried out unconscious on a stretcher to an ambulance. Because time was short, they unfortunately still had to look at the video capture of their rehearsal. None of them seemed to see anything Maki had done wrong — she had extended her fingers as far as she could, it looked like Nico had simply gotten her timing wrong. Maki had expected to be smiling and triumphant at this point. Much like Nico was certainly feeling, she couldn't figure out where she'd gone wrong.

* * *

She realized in the next couple of days, with a sinking feeling, that she had to see Yazawa in the hospital. Anything else would look either guilty or cold. And since she was, frankly, both, that was the opposite of the impression she wanted to make. As it was, she was the last member to pay her a visit. Behind her, it so happened, was Toujou-san, paying a repeat visit. Maki dutifully inquired how Nico was doing and asked if she had people bringing her things from school. They both knew they weren't friends, though Nico seemed to appreciate the visit as a sign of bare respect.

"I hope it hurts."

Maki, and Nico to the degree she could, turned their heads.

"I hope it hurts. It should hurt. You've needed something like this for a long, long time now. If you can't learn from this, there's no hope for you."

Seeing the bewildered, hurt expression on the patient in bandages and casts, she laughed, but not with much humor in it.

"Oh, Nicocchi. You are one of my favorite people! So cute! Did you imagine for one second I was talking to YOU?"  
With that Nozomi came over and kissed Nico chastely and tenderly on the cheek. She left the fruit she'd brought where Nico's free arm could reach it, waved goodbye and left.

Nico was not blind to the implications of what Nozomi said. She hadn't spoken in her usual tentative, mysterious way, either. She was confident the truth was on her side. Nico didn't know how Maki had managed it this time, but her history of sabotage during practice could only lead to the conclusion that she'd done it again. Now Nico wouldn't be able to dance in the live, nor the next one with A-RISE, which would have been their debut as a foursome. And that was under good conditions. It could be more than that.

She looked Nishikino in the eye and said, "We need to talk."

* * *

Nico decided she had to begin at the beginning. "The truth is, I was never, ever unpleasant to you. But you've treated me like a dog since we first met. I was too embarrassed to ask why, but here in this bed I have nowhere to go and a lot of time on my hands. And not much to do in the way of saving face. So why? Start with that."

Maki kept silent.

"Okay, fine. Maybe I'll come across something that will get your filthy mouth moving. Who knows? Let me rephrase it. You don't know me, but you've hated me for months. You've been so cruel, I even wonder if letting me get into UTX was a ploy. Rin and Hanayo told me that your family wanted you there in Otonokizaka anyway, you know. You can't put that all on me. But when it comes down to it, there is not much in your life you won't take out on me, is there?" she shrugged.

"God, what an idiot I was. I actually admired you. I thought your songs flowed so easily. I envied you your perfect looks. You even twisted that into me having some sort of stalker lesbian crush on you, right? Now you seem really ugly to me. Sooner or later, the person inside will peek out, and the world will see what I see. The more I encounter you, the more I realize why people don't want to have princesses running around giving orders anymore. I can't fight back - I can't take everything from you for no reason, like you've done to me. I'm not rich enough, not trained enough, not ugly enough."

"You know what people like me do? I'm now A-RISE's main songwriter. Does that surprise you? I can't dance, but I can still contribute. Like I said, time on my hands. I'm also writing a song for Mu's. You and I will be rivals, at least this one time. That's what people like me do. We do what we can, and we don't stop just because the people walking above us feel like **pissing on our lives**."

As she said that, Nico was frightened, because Nishikino suddenly came towards her. Then she was flabbergasted to feel the princess's lips on hers. Maki stayed that way for a while, then broke the kiss and looked into Nico's eyes. Her expression was unreadable, and she went back to kissing Nico again. They kissed that way, off and on, for a very long time. Finally, Nishikino stopped.

Nico looked at her. She was staring down. Her face had her trademark grim, serious expression. "You got it moving," she said.

"What?" Nico didn't get it.

"My filthy mouth."

It was so absurd, Nico had to laugh. If darkly.

"We can't be together, I don't think," Nishikino continued. She shook her head, then nodded. She looked a little wistful. Or wistful for Nishikino.

"But I want to change things. For real. I've seen your songs. They need work. Instead of one song for Mu's, do two with me. Do one for A-RISE, then one with me, then another for them, and so on. We'll be co-writers. I'll bring a keyboard with headphones you can play with one hand. I think you'll see your progress. It's how I was trained."

Finally, she raised her head and met Nico's gaze. "I know how to read a chart. You won't miss more than the next two lives if you don't do anything strenuous when you get home. Nozomi told me you do the housework. But you should skip that and do physical therapy instead. I'll help you. You'll probably have to pretend I'm a friend. When you start practicing again, you can at least suggest we change up partners. But face it, our fight is already over."

Nishikino was still incomprehensible, and it probably showed on Nico's face.

Nishikino smiled. A small smile, not a very happy one. "I …" she swallowed. "I kissed you. A lot. Just now. For … at least - at LEAST an hour. And you … kissed back. The whole time."

"What does —"

"We have something on each other. It's a stand-off."

It was like talking to a space alien, but Nico understood that she meant for them both to keep going forward. Which was all she'd wanted in the first place.

"Ah, okay … umm … Maki … it's a … truce?" Nico said, holding her good hand in front of her with the palm towards Maki.

Maki pressed her palm into Nico's and pushed forward to give her a long kiss. "Truce."

Well, maybe that was just how her species communicated.

* * *

 **Notes:**

The title comes from the impromptu, informal, unofficial truces that occurred at Christmas during the first world war.

"After almost six month of war, soldiers fighting for the Entente powers and soldiers fighting for the "Mittelmächte" met in No Man's Land and celebrated Christmas together.  
The soldiers exchanged gifts, sometimes addresses, and drank together. Often the truce started with a request to bury the dead comrades lying between the trenches."

\- **Bruce Bairnsfather: Christmas Burial in No Man's Land**


End file.
